good morning, america. this morning, terror at the boston marathon. the two explosions that rocked the finish line, three dead now. at least 140 injuries. >> something just blew up. >> the chaos and horror as shrapnel blasted through the crowd. >> we are going to need more ambulances here. we need some more ambulances. >> this morning what we know about the victims, including the children, an 8-year-old, an 11-year-old caught in the mayhem and the runner knocked down by the first bomb in this astonishing shot. overnight a frantic search playing out around boston. are the clues buried in the bombs? we are live on the scene with the breaking new details and the brand-new video. >> this is a special edition of "good morning america," terror at the boston marathon live from boston.

and good morning, america. from boston, a city in shock this morning after a clear day full of promise was shattered by bombs. you see those images right there. they've been coming in all night. the scene at mile 26 of the boston marathon. it was a mile also marked for the 26th victims of that newtown tragedy and right there you see it looks so much more like a war zone than a finish line. i'm here in boston along with josh elliott, martha raddatz and brian ross working the story all night long joining us this morning and, josh, this image from "the boston globe" really captures it all, "marathon terror." >> all the more staggering considering the day, patriots' day, a day important to the whole of new england. day read in one story where this city becomes a village and think what happens in the village center, that town center torn apart. >> patriots' day, 117th running

of the boston marathon. all of boston coming out to celebrate even a game at fenway yesterday afternoon but look at the terror and chaos after those bombs hit. we have brand-new video coming in right now. people trapped between the two he can explosions exactly 12 seconds apart. watch and listen. this is what it felt like if you were caught between the two bombs. >> holy [ muted ]. >> oh, my god. [ explosion ] >> and, josh, 12 seconds of terror and captured so clearly right there. came right before 3:00 p.m., about 2:50. that hour when the bulk of runners would cross the finish line. >> the average finish was 4:18. this happened at about the 4:10 mark. the red sox game nearby at

fenway park had just let out. spring break had begun. this city was collecting here to watch, not the elite runners, but their neighbors, their friends, their family cross that finish line, chosen again for maxim packet. we're going to have a lot more information in just a moment about the youngest victims including an 8-year-old from a neighborhood, dorchester, just a few miles from here. his name, martin richard. he is an innocent loss today. but the marathon is such a high-profile event. so many cameras on the scene we were able to reconstruct it all moment by terrifying moment. the attack appears timed for maxim packet. just before 2:50 p.m., this is the viewpoint seen by many as the 26,000 marathon runners were approaching the finish line. the first of the two explosions

rocks the sidewalk along the course. white smoke blasting through the air blowing metal barricades into the street, spewing shrapnel into crowds gathered to finish. >> we are going to need more ambulances here. we need some more ambulances. >> the moment captured from multiple angle just as the race clock approaches the 4:10 mark. marathon runner bill iffrig is knocked to the ground. 12 seconds later as many flee the scene -- >> something just blew up. >> -- a second explosion goes off 130 yards from the first, less tan a block away. >> oh, god, get out of the stands. >> it was very loud. the ground shook. you could just feel it going down through you. >> we need help. >> reporter: as the injured lay on the pavement blood staining the ground. emergency medical technician, boston police and some 400

national guardsmen on hand for the race triaged the wounded. the medical tent was transformed into a trauma unit. >> one guy with his legs gone at the knees. shrapnel wounds on people on the sides of their head. >> reporter: by 3:00 p.m. just as the president is being briefed on the attacks reports trickle in of yet another explosion. this time at boston's jfk library. it's later deemed unrelated but in the growing con fruition there are reports of additional devices and several schools and hospitals are briefly evacuated. meanwhile, over 130 victims are being transported to six area hospitals and just after 6:00 p.m., president obama addresses the country vowing to find those responsible. >> make no mistake, we will get to the bottom of this. any responsible individuals, any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice.

>> no matter how many times you see it it is still just as terrifying. i do want to show one photograph, as well, speaking to what was not the hundreds and hundreds of bags waiting for runners who were never able to claim them again, a snapshot of innocence and perfection on that patriots' day suspended if not lost. george. >> josh, the runners across the finish line right before the moment of impact, bill iffrig is right here, 78-year-old bill i have africa, rebecca roche and we have seen that image. i want to put it up on the screen as you were just approaching the finish line, the blast hit and you went down right there. tell us what you remember. >> yeah, i didn't know what had happened. all of a sudden this enormous blast right next to me and it just kind of buckled my legs and i knew i was going down so i hit

the blacktop, i started looking around to see how we were doing and i seemed to be okay but didn't get up right away. >> you fell from the impact but barely injured. >> impact i think drove me right to the ground, you know, it took away the bulk of my legs right underneath me but it didn't last long. as soon as i hit the ground i was all right. >> you must have been just a little ahead. you crossed the finish line, then whatted. >> i crossed the finish line 30, 50 seconds prior and the bombs went off and actually my mom and some dear friends were injured in the impact. >> how are they doing now. >> they're recovering from surgery. >> what kind of injuries? >> a tibial compound fracture and a patella shatter. >> could you feel the blast from where you were? >> yeah, you could still feel the trembles. >> what did you think had

happened. >> i thought the worst. i turned around and saw the smoke from both bombs and thought something terrible had happened. >> bill, you were pretty dazed for a couple of minutes. >> oh, yeah, and then one of the attendants at the finish line came over and started helping me up so i was okay once i got up on my feet and he assisted me to get me over the finish line so i could finish the race. >> you actually did finish the race. >> yes, i did. >> and in those moments, rebecca, right after when you knew in your words the worst had happened, what exactly did you do? where did you go? >> it was chaotic. people were being pushed out of the way. scrambling, running with the police, people were hiding under buses, it was just panic. so we did the best we could to get out of that area and then tried to make it back to our loved ones. >> glad they're going to be okay. sorry for their injuries.

rebecca and bill, thank you very much. >> investigators have been searching overnight for any clues as to who might be responsible and abc's chief investigative correspondent brian ross who has covered terrorism for so many years has been tracking this all day, all night. brian, what can you tell us? >> josh, we have nobody in custody and no sense that there could be more attacks coming. the search for the killers or man or men behind this could not be more urgent with hundreds assigned to the task. overnight a tip about possible explosives led agents to search an apartment on the fifth floor in the boston suburb of revere and agents said there was nothing to worry about but the quick law enforcement response underscored their effort to stop track and stop the people responsible. >> i encourage everyone to have a heightened state of vigilance here in the boston area. [ sirens] >> reporter: fbi agents went to a local hospital to question a

20-year-old saudi college student who was injured in the blast but authorities stressed he is not considered a suspect. >> there are people that we are talking to but there is no suspect at brigham and women's hospital. >> reporter: so far the videos of the blast are providing some of the most important clues, authorities say the white smoke seen after the detonation indicates small bombs with a simple low velocity explosive mixture, not military grade. but still sophisticated enough to detonate about 15 seconds apart. >> something just blew up. >> they may not have had the resources as we've seen in other bomb attacks, but they knew how to make the bomb go boom. >> reporter: experts say the large pieces of metal as seen here in the air suggest the bombs might have been concealed in a mailbox or trash barrel as one witness described. >> i literally saw the garbage barrel explode. i saw the flash, the fire, the smoke and i just ran as fast as i could. >> reporter: and the limited damage to nearby buildings telex

pers the bomb may have failed to fully function as designed, in other words as bad as it was it could have been worse. at this point authorities still don't know enough to rule in or rule out domestic or international terrorism, george. >> okay, brian, thanks very much. more on this from martha raddatz. i'm joined here by martha raddatz, also pierre thomas in washington. let me begin with you, pierre. intelligence officials, brian said, are not ruling in or ruling out anything at this point. one thing so mystifying. no one has stepped forward to claim responsibility. >> reporter: i spoke to a senior official who said typically in the hours after a bombing like this, terror organizations like to claim responsibility. they want the credit for their deadly work. a number of people were interview ed overnight. some associated with that saudi student and still don't know if he had anything to do with the

bombing but out after an abundance of caution they're trying to dissect his life but piecing together the bomb remnants is key because they have air vast catalog of past bombing incidents and will compare it to whatever information they can get about these devices and come up with a list of potential suspects. >> pierre, this is exactly the kind of attack homeland security officials have been worried about over the last several years, not all that sophisticated but attacking softing its. >> reporter: exactly. they were reasonably confident they could prevent a 9/11-scale attack, something huge that involved a lot of people. but what they worried about were small attacks like this which probably involved a small number of people that would go after a soft target, large numbers of people, you know, where security, while in a sense could not control everybody that would ago vest to the venue. >> okay. pierre, thanks very much. and martha raddatz here, one of

the eerie elements of this whole bombing here is relatively crude bombs and the kinds of injuries you saw in iraq and afghanistan. >> saw them all the time. this whole street, this whole scene is so reminiscent of war zones in baghdad, in afghanistan. when the war in iraq began there were very small bombs. they were not military grade bombs but they do a great deal of damage and necessary kinds of bombs would be placed in backpacks, be placed on the side of the road precisely to target people walking by. >> and we're learning now the kinds of injuries that so many of the victims have are exactly the kind that a lot of our service people in iraq and afghanistan. it's going to be a long recovery. >> it is going to be a long recovery and have to think about it, those people had no protection. in iraq, in afghanistan at least they had body armor. at least they were ready to fight back. here you've got all these innocent victims on the street in their shorts and their

flip-flops just enjoying the day. it's going to be a long, long recovery for these people. >> martha, thanks very much. to josh. >> so many more details coming in. linsey davis is here with the stories of the injured. those who lost their lives and, linsey, those runners who became first responders in those first moments. >> that's exactly one of the things that struck me. the doctors and nurses running in the marathon by all accounts had already been running for hour, in many cases running for their 26th mile and somehow still had the energy to help and could have saved lives. three lost, 145 people injured. 15 of them critically. overnight brand-new details about 8-year-old martin richard from dorchester, massachusetts, who lost his life in the marathon bombing. he just greeted his father at the finish line when the bombs went off, his mother and sister by his side. they were also injured. a candle now burning in front of their home as a somber memorial.

>> he was out on the bike, always playing in the driveway. they were a very close-knit family and it's a tragedy. >> reporter: doctors in hospitals describing waiting rooms that looked like war zones, nearly 150 patients rushed in many requiring amputations of limbs, some still undergoing operations and clinging to life right now. 11-year-old aaron hearn is among the youngest injured waiting for his mother to cross the finish line when flying shrapnel dug into his thigh and hip. >> up on the bleachers looking down and the crowd got chaotic and he found him laying down. >> reporter: he is among the approximately 150 people injured in the attack according to the latest numbers. at least 17 are in critical condition. 8 of them children. the youngest a 2-year-old boy who was treated for a head injury. the oldest victim reportedly in their 70s. we also know some of the injured are college students, one from

boston university, at least two from tufts and seven from emerson college. also this morning, the story of a mother of five whose two oldest sons, 33-year-old and 31-year-old who both lost a leg from the knee down. they were apparently standing next to the 8-year-old boy who lost his life. josh. >> thank you, linsey. and now with more on what was faced by both the victims and first responders in those first surreal moments after the explosions ripped through the finish line i'm now joined by dr. alan painter and his wife teresa. doctor, you're an emergency room doctor in gainesville, florida. you are a nurse practitioner. doctor, what did you see about 20 feet from the blast area? >> first i noticed the large explosion, felt the heat and the wave come towards me. i turned to my right and basically took about three steps and then heard another explosion further down the block which

turned me back around to see people behind me bleeding and then people to where standing next to me bleeding and pretty much a mangled mess. >> we've heard the numbers that when you say mangled mess, what exactly are you looking at? >> i would estimate about 6 to 7 people lying on top of each other in a mess of bodies and legs. >> you were left to treat one woman in particular. what did you see? >> one lady had agonal respirations. i tried to control the airway. another gentleman did cpr and worked till we had a stretcher. we had a pulse till we got her to the medical exam then we lost her. >> you mentioned untangling the bodies. what sort of injuries were you seeing? >> mostly lower extremity blast injuries. one gentleman was minus both his legs below the knees and everybody else had some type of leg fracture, leg wounds. >> teresa, you were steps from

the finish line, in fact, he was waiting for you to cross. what did you know? you must have heard the blast. did you have a sense of what had happened? >> well, i was scared because it sounded like it was a bomb or -- and i knew he was close by so my first worry was where was he at. >> now your story is also one of the confusion of those first moments. about an hour passed before you could finally reunite. what was that hour like? >> well, it was upset. >> well, great to have you there, as well. we thank you for your service in those first moments, doctor, and teresa. thank you for joining us. >> all right, we're going to head back down to new york where sam champion has the latest look at the nation's weather. good morning, sam. >> good morning, josh. just an incredible story from the heros that were on the scene. we're going to watch the skies in america's heartland to the east along a cold front that

kicks off strong thunderstorms. san angelo probably to oklahoma city, nashville, st. louis involved, even cincinnati and quick mention of the big snow going around the denver area. 9 inches of snow normally in the month of may. that came yesterday and then some and there's another opportunity to get snow in the next 24 hours so we'll watch that system, as well. that's the weather around the nation. >> good morning.

57 degrees is our temperature. quite a bit of cloudiness this morning that you can see brightness from the sunrise that was just about an hour ago. 54 in gaithersburg. , mostlycast for today cloudy skies. outlying areas could have a little light mist. most of the distraught. 72-76 degrees for afternoon high. continuing to be and the warm side for the r >> snow and storms back on the map in equal proportion. back to boston with josh and george. >> okay, sam, thanks very much. coming up on "gma," connecting the dots. was a terror attack a conspiracy or the work of a lone wolf? >> we'll take a closer look at the kind of bombs used in this attack. crude and unsophisticated but so very deadly. and the new fear factor for all of america this morning. how the country will change after the horror at the marathon. ♪

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>> this is an abc seven news update. >> the morning, i am greta kreuz. as we have been telling you all morning, botanist time to come to grips with yesterday's deadly marathon attack. three people, one of them and eight-year-old boy, died. two bombs exploded near the marathon finish line. more than 140 people were hurt, several in critical condition.

the fbi saying they are tracking several persons of interest, but so far no suspect or motive. our sister station will have more in a live in-depth report in just a few minutes. as america deals with the attack, virginia is pausing to remember another tragedy this morning. there will be a moment of silence at 9:43 a.m. to honor the victims of the virginia tech massacre. it was six years ago today that the gunmen killed 32 students, faculty members, and killed himself. there will also be a community picnic. let's find out what is happening on the roads right now. earlier had troubles us morning on the baltimore- washington parkway northbound, north of the beltway. the accident is gone. you are in good shape. 270, we are struggling. you can see here jammed heading down to the lane divided the distant. a medical emergency along the right type. quick notes, virginia, 66 crash. naturally forecast. .> cloudy start this morning

57 degrees, pretty mild. a light jacket or sweater to start the day. we will be warmer this afternoon and we were yesterday. a cult sent across will be approaching for tomorrow. chance for another showers. live the umbrella at home today. i temperatures and low to mid 70's with a a chance of thunderstorms wednesday and friday. >> t

that is what you heard, that is what you saw. that is what you felt in those final moments before the finish line when those bombs went off at the boston marathon shortly before 3:00 p.m. yesterday, moments of terror. 12 seconds of terror that shook a whole city now reverberating all across the country. good morning, america, from boston, a city reeling this morning after a day of celebration was shattered by shrapnel from those bombs exploding at the finish line. came at mile 26, this mile also marked for the 26 victims of the newtown tragedy, i'm here with josh elliott, brian ross, martha raddatz, everyone reported this story all night long after those 12 seconds of terror in boston. >> about three blocks from here, george, just to our left on boylston street and what we can tell you about this mile 26, it's not a finish line now, it looks far more like a war zone.

three are dead. 145 injured at least. 15 of them critically as we saw national guardsmen actually deploying into the subway stop as they were moving stop to stop through the city. >> it's shut down and cities across the country on high alert. we'll talk to also a number of eyewitnesses including the college student who crossed the finish line at the moment of the bomb's impact. >> a new factor now for the entire country. how will our nation change and for so many parents waking up of children this morning, what do you say to your kids this morning about the terror here in boston? sam champion in times square, new york, where there's also a very big police presence. >> we'll get to that later but now the devastating stories. the bombs by all accounts were crude and unsophisticated as they were deadly and jim avila

is in washington reporting on it. >> reporter: the bombs that caused such tragic wounds are actually quite small and portable like these dummy devices. they're easy to hide in a backpack. at this size they're hardly powerful enough to cause any structural damage but designed to wreak havoc on the human body, the flesh and the mind. that white smoke, the damaging shrapnel helped hold clues of ang improvised explosive device. we've seen what they do to armored vehicles and foot patrols in iraq and afghanistan. bigger ieds like this one can cause quite a blast but most often the smaller bombs as in boston are not strong enough to damage structures, but they can shall deadly to anyone in the kill zone. >> there's only one reason to build an improvised explosive device and that's to kill or injure people. >> reporter: this demonstration shows the damage done by the

shrapnel. small pieces of metal often loaded inside the bomb. you can see and hear those dangerous projectiles exploding into the air. >> these people were in close proximity to the device when it went off. that's where you'll see the most catastrophic injuries. >> reporter: the actual blast of the boston bomb was not strong, mostly injures from low-flying debris leading them to call it a small ied. the one two years ago was potentially much bigger carrying 250 pounds of ammonium nitrate. a demonstration by the fbi showed it would have created a huge explosion if it would have ignited and infamous underwear bomb designed to bring down an airplane may have been powerful enough to do it as this demonstrate showed. and unfortunately, learning how to build these devices is public knowledge. >> they're easy to hide. they're easy to build. it doesn't require a lot of skill. >> reporter: if fact, experts

say instructions to build bombs like the one used in boston can be found in the library or the internet with just a few clicks. josh. >> thank you, jim. we'll turn now to the latest on the investigation unfolding. authorities working this morning to connect so many dots. one big clue could be monday's date, april 15th, the anniversary of some of the most harrowing incidents in domestic coming this week and abc's pierre thomas in washington has been tracking all the latest and has that right now for us. good morning, pierre. >> reporter: good morning, josh. my sources tell me it's the evidence on scene and witnesses that will break open the case. the list of potential suspects could be long because investigators know this stretch of april is one with a dark history. this friday, april 19th is also the anniversary of two of the most traumatic days in the country's recent history. in 1993 a 51-day standoff between federal law enforcement and branch davidian leader david

koresh ended with 80 dead including 25 children when koresh refused to surrender peacefully. on the same day two years later, timothy mcveigh bombed the alfred murrah federal building in oklahoma city killing 168 including 19 children in the building's day-care center. >> that attack was specifically designed as payback for the government's role in waco two years earlier. >> reporter: for those who hate america and know something of its history monday had particular meaning. in massachusetts monday was a state holiday. patriots' day commemorating the first shots fired in the american revolution. during the battles of lexington and concord fought near boston in 1775. >> the real patriots' day is april 19th. that is the date that counts for people on the extreme right in the united states. as it happens, massachusetts celebrates patriots' day on the

third monday of the month. >> reporter: but for every conspiracy theory about domestic extremists or international terrorists there is this fact. april has seen its share of random senseless violence aimed at the innocent and vulnerable in public places. soft targets. on this day six years ago the virginia tech massacre and this saturday april 20th marks 14 years since the deadly cl colum school shooting. my sources tell me today the priority is simply to go where the evidence points, george. >> okay. thanks, pierre. let's bring in richard clarke, the head of counterterrorism for presidents clinton and bush. an abc news consultant now and you were there for waco and there for oklahoma city. how much would you be paying attention to these dates right now? >> well, not very much, george. i think we can't read anything that this yet. the only thing we can tell is this could have been done by a lone individual, just physically

looking at the attack. it could have been. that's about all we can really say. it doesn't mean it was a lone individual. i think we can also say that we now have a risk of copycat killers using the same technique, going on the internet, making a bomb. this is a very small bomb. easily made. putting it in a trash bin at an event. you know, the inauguration we always see the police coming and taking the trash bins off pennsylvania avenue prior to the parade. boston didn't do that apparently yesterday because there was no threat information. marathon had gone off peacefully for years. i used to go to it as a kid. in fact, the poor boy that died was from the neighborhood i grew up in. this is all very personal for a lot of us. but i think for now the only thing we can say is they will either break quickly as in the world trade center attack in 1993 or it could take months of forensic work as in the twa 800

crash. it may take a long time for the fbi to put the videotape together from so many cameras. >> and, richard, one of the perplexing things as you pointed out no real chatter before the attack or not much after either. >> not much after that we know of. you can be sure, george, that the national security agency is going through all sorts of phone calls in the boston area to foreign locations. they're also going to be looking for phone calls made at the exact times of the bombs going off to see if the bombs were triggered by calls to cell phones. that's their expertise. the fbi's expertise is putting together lots of little pieces, little tiny pieces of bombs and that's what they'll start doing today. >> okay, painstaking work ahead. richard, thanks very much. time for the weather and to sam champion back up in times square. >> hey, george, we're going to

begin with a map that shows all of the warm air pooling in the south headed east over the next couple of days. temperatures in the 60s approaching the 70s into the northeast and we have raleigh and a good part of the south coming up with temperatures in the 80s. d.c., you're warm. washington, new york, all warm. even raleigh is coming in with those 83-degree temperatures by the time we get to friday. then take a look at the next storm off the west. already strong winds whipping behind the storm but this is one that will deliver more snow to denver and the mountains above it and more severe storms into the middle of the country. we'll watch it, so will you. >> good morning, everyone. cloudy skies this morning with 57 degrees. and a light jacket or sweater needed this morning. by this afternoon we will warm things up better than yesterday. >> miler temperatures all week until you get to the weekend on the east and then cooler

temperatures there. george. >> thank you, sam. coming up, the heroes who ran into the chaos after the bombs went off. they were going to help. what they're saying about why they sprang into action during those harrowing moments. try our delicious new freshly made lunch pizzas on our house-baked pan crust served with soup or salad and made to order. chili's new $6 lunch break combos.

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we are back now with this special edition of "good morning america" with the stories of the heroes here in boston yesterday, the men and women who rushed into the chaos to try to help after those harrowing explosions rocked the boston marathon and linsey davis is back with us with those stories of those who ran to the aid of the wounded. linsey. >> reporter: we talked about what a difference it likely made that you already had first responders right on the scene of the marathon. but then there were those who

weren't trained and adrenaline kicked in and stepped in to do what they could to help. this was the moment when thousands of people instead of running to the finish line began running for their lives. and then there were those who ran straight toward the chaos >> that's what americans do in times of crisis. we come together and we help one another. moments like these, terrible as they are, don't show our weakness. they show our strength. >> reporter: this morning they are being hailed as heroes. carlos and his wife were in the vip section passing out american flags are to u.s. soldiers when the bomb exploded right in front of them. >> my first instinct was to just run across the street and start helping other people. >> reporter: he advantage into sakz stopping the bleeding of a man who lost both legs. he never left his side. >> he's in a little in shock.

>> reporter: joe andruzzi who was there in support of his cancer foundation seen here carrying an injured woman to safety and bruce mendelssohn was blocked away from the explosion still because he was knocked out of his seat but then headed toward the scene. >> i was with my brother who had just finished the marathon and i yelled at him to get all the people back away from the windows. there were blood smears on the sidewalk. there were people injured with a lot of grievous lower body injuries. i tried to render what pedicle assistance i could and tried to help the boston pd on the scene. >> reporter: there were stories of bravery. dozens of ambulances lining the trees with the caption "this is what a hero looks like." another man tweeting "my boss' brother was at the boston marathon and said he carried a 5-year-old who lost her legs five blocks to an ambulance, pound, hero." this morning we see for every act of terror heroes emerge.

it all comes to down to that natural instinct, that knee-jerk reaction of fight or flight. these heroes are the people who didn't flee. even the first responders they were expecting things like blisters, dehydration and cramps, not lost limbs and shrapnel wounds but these people rose to the occasion and they're being celebrated. >> like you said it was instinct to go right back toward the danger. thanks very much. coming up here we'll talk to the victims caught in the finish line and the college women's lacrosse team and also talk about a new fear factor, america waging up to new terror. how the country will change and how we can all talk to our children right now. i do a lot of research on angie's list

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is ane and in hd, this abc 7 news update. >> good morning. d.c. has increased security at yesterday's boston marathon bombings. extra security in place that landmarks, government buildings. metro adding extra patrols. and costs officials say there is -- and officials say there is no specific threat. our sister station will have an in-depth report at the top of our work. the extra security comes after the emancipation day and parade. parking will be

enforced. other parking restrictions are suspended. several streets will be closed for the emancipation day parade and festival. any problems out there? >> right now looking at delays on 270. we will track this slowly down to the 270 server. 395, this isand inbound. onrently police activity stand road closing the outside lane. more on that in the next hour. >> quite a bit of cloudiness with 57 degrees. a mild start. we will get some breaks in the clouds. sunshine this afternoon that will allow us to warm up more than what we saw it yesterday. there is a cold front stretching across the eastern great lakes. that will bring us another chance of a few showers. 72-76.ostly cloudy

tomorrow the chance of showers and we will continue to warm up through the rest of the week. >>

good morning, america. this morning, terror at the boston marathon. the two explosions that rocked the finish line, three dead now. at least 140 injured. >> something just blew up. >> shock waves and shrapnel blasting the crowd. >> we're going to need more ambulances here. we need some more ambulances. >> this morning what we know about the victims right now including the children, an 8-year-old and 11-year-old caught in the horror and the harrowing story of the college women's lacrosse team just feet from the finish line. overnight playing out orndz boston. are the clues to the culprit buried in the bomb. we're live on the scene with breaking new details. brand-new video. >> announcer: this is a special edition of "good morning america": terror at the boston

marathon" live from times square and boston. >> and good morning, america. from boston. you see those images of those moments right after the two explosions went off four hours into the boston marathon yesterday just a little before 3:00 p.m. two explosions 12 seconds apart sending chaos around the finish line, hundreds of victims injured. three dead so far. it was a day shattered by those bombs today beginning here in boston. the sun was shining. that's how it began yesterday but then those explosions came mile 26 of the boston marathon, a mile mark for the newtown victims, see so much chaos there. >> to see those two explosions about 150 feet apart and to see how many people were caught in between them is to get a sense of how many people were here at the epicenter of the terror. >> josh elliott here along with

martha raddatz and brian ross working the story all night long in washington and here in boston trying to piece together everything we know about those moments of terror. >> so here is what we know, three dead including an 8-year-old boy from nearby dorchester, more than 145 injured. 15 of them critically. federal investigators are saying that no one has yet claimed responsibility for these bombings. again, we are here in the center of boston just near the explosion point some three blocks to our left, the main injuries so many for loss of limbs, it was patriots' day, of course, children here in the city and so many of the college students being reminded of the origins and the beginning of the american revolution. it is a regional holiday and certainly a day for all bostonians to celebrate what takes them singular and what has turned yesterday so deadly. >> always to be remembered in a different way. we have brand-new video coming in overnight we want to show -- captures those moments between the two explosions exactly 12

second as part. watch and listen. this is what it felt like if you were caught between the two bombs. >> holy [ muted ]. >> oh, my god. [ screaming ] >> you can see everything shake. right there. 12 seconds apart as you said, josh, about 150 yards, two powerful explosions that sent everyone running. this was the moment, this was the hour where the bulk of the runners in this race, 23,000 in the boston marathon would be crossing the finish line. we want to go to amy robach also in new york. sam is up there, as well. increased police presence in times square this morning too, amy. >> there is. we can see them right out our window and i know you and josh

and so many of us parents across the country are struggling with all of these images and all this increased presence around us about what to tell our children this morning about those deadly explosions at the finish line. i was dealing with this last night with my 10-year-old who was sobbing so we'll talk with parents who are sharing with us what they're saying to their kids and also talking to the experts about what the right things to do and say are. josh. >> such an important thing to do, amy. we're going to have a lot more information in just a moment about the youngest victims including, again, that 8-year-old from a neighborhood, dorchester, just a couple of miles from where we sit. martin richard, an innocent lost in the carnage yesterday. the boston marathon, of course, one of the world's oldest and most prestigious races, as george mentions, roughly 23,000 runners participating so many cameras capturing it all and those allow us indeed to piece together the disaster as it happened.

the attack appears timed for maximum impact. just before 2:50 p.m., this is the viewpoint seen bring many as the 26,000 marathon runners who are approaching the finish line. the first of the two explosions rocks the sidewalk along the course. white smoke into the air blowing barricades into the street and spewing shrapnel into crowds gathered at the finish. >> we are going to need more ambulances here. we need some more ambulances. >> the moment captured from multiple angle just as the race clock approaches the 4:10 mark. marathon runner bill iffrig is knocked to the ground. 12 seconds later, as many flee the scene -- >> something just blew up. -- a second explosion goes off

about 130 yards from the first. less than a block away. >> oh, god. get out of the stands. >> it was very loud. the ground shook. you can feel it going down through you. >> reporter: as the injured lay on the pavement blood staining the ground emergency medical technicians, boston police and some 400 national guardsmen already on hand for the race immediately triaged the wounded. the event's medical tent was transformed into a trauma unit. >> one guy with his legs gone at the knees and some ankles and feet missing, shrapnel wounds on people on the sides of their head. >> reporter: 3:00 p.m. as the president is being briefs reports trickle in of another explosion at jfk's library later deemed unrelated. meanwhile, over 130 victims are being transported to six area hospitals and just after 6:00 p.m., president obama addresses the country. >> make no mistake, we will get to the bottom of this.

>> investigators searching for clues as to who is behind the bombings all night long and abc's chief investigative correspondent brian ross is here reporting on it all night. >> there is a killer at large and with no one in custody and no sense that there might be more terror attacks coming, the search for the people behind this is -- could not be more urgent. overnight a tip about possible explosives led federal agents to search an apartment on the fifth floor of this building in the boston suburb of revere. agents later told residents there was nothing to worry about but the quick law enforcement enforce underscored the fbi's effort to track and stop the people responsible for monday's attack. >> the make of the device intended for the device to go off simultaneously and he had absolutely no regard for, you know, women, children, runners, innocent people.

>> reporter: fbi agents also went to a local hospital to question a 20-year-old saudi college student who was injured in the blast. but authorities stressed he is not considered a suspect. >> there are people that we are talking to but there is no suspect at brigham and women's hospital. >> reporter: so far the videos of the blast are providing some of the most important clues. authorities say the white smoke seen after the detonation indicates small bombs with a simple low velocity explosive mixture, not military grade. >> i literally saw the garbage barrel explode and saw the flash, the fire, the smoke and ran as fast as i could. >> reporter: experts say the large pieces of metal as seen in the air suggest the bombs might have been concealed in a mailbox or trash barrel. >> nothing worse than knowing that you have a depraved indifferent killer out there and forget his motivation, whether it was political or social, or just a psychopathic criminal, he has to be caught and caught

immediately. >> so the search is urgent but at this point authorities say they do not know enough to rule in or rule out either domestic or international terrorism. >> brian, thanks. here with martha raddatz. can't rule anything in or out right now, martha, as brian said but doesn't seem to have the hallmark or clues that we normally associate with al qaeda. >> it doesn't. no one is claiming responsibility. they weren't enormous bombs but they are both like bombings in iraq and in afghanistan. those smaller bombs, and plus the 12 seconds apart. the two many bos, that's really a hallmark of somebody who knows what they're doing and they want to elicit maximum terror. think about the word terror with people here, innocence in their shorts and t-shirts and when i flew in last night, i was looking over the city and i thought, somewhere in that city is someone who just did a

horrible, horrible thing. >> for you coming in last night, i was coming home while you reported from boston for many years, you know what this day, patriots' day means to the city. >> it is just the most wonderful coming together in this city. you know, this is a big city, but it really is a small town and i am already hearing terrible stories of people who have a friend of a friend who lost a leg. everybody, everybody in this town is going to be affected by this. the marathon will never be the same. the runners will never forget. the boston marathon which for so many years we gathered at the finish line and gathered along the route it will have a different meaning going forward. you've also got a town here dealing with amputation. i mean we've been at war for over ten years. i see these national guardsmen going downstairs and i talked to a couple of guys this morning, they've been in iraq and afghanistan but for them to see innocent victims like this who can't fight back blown up is

really heartbreaking for everyone. >> that trauma will linger for a long time. josh. >> we'll bring back abc's linsey davis who has the story of one of the youngest victims here, an 8-year-old from a neighborhood just a few miles from here. >> josh, i saw an article today that started very simply with he has a name. and it is martin richard. he is the 8-year-old who lost his life yesterday after apparently just going to the finish line. his dad had apparently just finished running the race and gives his dad a hug. his dad then walks off. he joins his mother and younger sister on the sidewalk. the explosion happens. his mom is seriously injured. she is now in the hospital. his little sister apparently losing her leg. a third sibling is apparently uninjured but can you just imagine this morning the horror of this family? it just makes you want to hold your loved ones closer. >> hug them up, tell them you love them and still at times that's not enough.

it is such a moment. it's such a moment of innocence lost here. thank you for that. martin richard from dorchester. george? >> let's bring in dr. dave king on the phone. he ran the marathon himself finishing out before the blast. also a trauma surgeon at mass general personally doing surgery on the victims rushed to the er all night long. thanks for joining us. tell us more about the scene at mass general last night. >> thanks for having me, george. i can tell you that the scene at the hospital was a degree of controlled chaos. between all of the subspecialties involved, the emergency department, our trauma team, the operating room and the intensive care unit, our entire team rallied very quickly. we were able to get all the critical patients into the operating room within minutes.

largely saving everyone. these operations, though, are generally staged meaning we do them in small pieces instead of one big operation at once so today we're back in the operating room with many of these casualties and will likely be back in the operating room with them over the next several days. >> and many of these victims dealing with injuries to their lower limb, some amputations, as well and as you point out it takes a series of surgeries to deal with this kind of trauma. >> that's right. well, the two primary types of injuries we're seeing are similar to the kinds of injuries that i saw in iraq and afghanistan as they -- i was a combat surgeon and that is multiple fragmentation to the torso and limbs and lower extremity blast injuries, these are the dominant injuries we're seeing. >> and we have seen some reports

that maybe the bomb had been packed with ball bearings. did you have any evidence of that? >> i don't want to comment directly on what foreign bodies that we have recovered from the victims, but, yes, there were multiple fragments packed around the bombs, some metal and i just don't want to elaborate on exactly what types of metal were involved. i'll leave that for the investigators to sort out and brief you. >> and as you said you'll be going back into the emergency room today. you think that you'll be able to save most of the injured? >> back to the operating room today with many of the casualties so far at or all the ten critically injured we have on our trauma team, we have no

deaths and we hope to keep it that way. >> okay, dr. dave king, thank you for calling in. thank you for all your work. back up to new york. right now times square on high alert with an increased presence right now and sam has the weather. sam. >> good morning, george. we'll begin with just a little detail out of oklahoma. several rapid shakes and quakes out in that direction. most of them in the 2 to 3 rank, a tremor but 4.3 outside of oklahoma city northeast call it luther in that area from very early this morning and talked to the authorities that does not seem to be any injuries or damage from there. 101 in laredo. dallas, 87 today. pay attention to this because the next graphic we show is this rapid shot of cold air that comes through. the east gets warmer air and tays that way for several days then watch this drop down. denver back into the 30s. dallas into the 60s after you've been in the 80s. oklahoma city chilling back into

the 50s. that big shot of cold air >> things are going to get better progressively throughout the day. i think we will get a few breaks and see a little sunshine this afternoon. that will allow us to warm up quite a bit. 57 degrees right now. like -- light jacket or sweater. 55 in manassas and winchester. it before in gaithersburg. we will make it into the low to mid 70's. a chance of showers and even some thu from here in new york and times square quick look at america's weather. now back to boston with george and josh. >> thank you, sam. we'll be right back with more special coverage of the terror at the boston marathon. what you need to know about talking to your kids about the new fear factor in america this morning. ♪ just one flea can bite your pet 400 times a day!

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and nearly 1,000 improvements. the redesigned 2013 glk. the next great advance from mercedes-benz. starting at $37,090. we are back live from times square here in new york where there is a strong police presence. heightened security throughout new york city, in fact, so many people waking up to a new fear factor in america this morning after the terrifying boston marathon bombing. parents are facing a daunting challenge of what to say, how to explain the horror at the finish line and how to help their kids cope. from coast to coast parents are grappling with questions how much do they tell their kids about the deadly explosions in boston or do they tell them at all? among the parents conflicted maude sax, mother of 6-year-old lydia. >> what i want to do is cry and

hold her close and never let her go. >> reporter: mom erin roy knows the feeling. >> i want my daughter to have a childhood. >> reporter: she wonders what to say to her daughter who is 6 but acts years older. >> i think she's very aware and sensitive and asks amazing questions. >> reporter: in los angeles we spoke with several parents trying to make sense of it all. >> it's difficult. depending on their age. >> you don't want to scare them but be aware. >> we explain the best we can? >> dr. jamie howell says the boston terror attack is something parents should be talking about to kids of all ages. >> kidding are getting information really quick these days so it might not be that another 5-year-old have seen it on older kids are talking about. >> among howell's tips, try to be calm and direct even if you told a little bit scared yourself. some sadness, anxiety, even

nightmares is normal in children after a national tragedy and don't let teenagers fool you. >> you want to be for them to correct any misinformation. >> maude hasn't told her daughter about the explosions yet. she's still deciding what to say. >> it's the worst thing in the world to tell this small being that somebody has killed somebody else. >> as for erin she made the difficult decision to talk with aasha last night. her reaction -- >> we lit candles for everyone we appreciate. >> what i hope is that by taupging about these things with her, we have a base, you know, we have a foundation. >> and for more now we are joined by psychiatrist dr. janet taylor and dr. sebastian scheuble here in new york and, you know, so many of us are dealing with this last night. i was up fairly late with my 10-year-old. she was sobbing. she said, why does this keep

happening, first there was the movie theater shooldings then there were the school shootings and now this. what do you say to your kids? >> it's very difficult and first thing is check in with your own emotion. whatever you're feeling your kids are feeling, as well. have a direct, controlled conversation and have them re-establish their sense of control. you can explain there are bad people in the world but there are good people so let's focus on the good that's in our house right now. if you have questions, you can ask them to ask you questions, answer them honestly. if you don't know the answer, find the information and do something that is helping people like the little girl in the video lit a candle. they can write a letter. >> what about the images on tv and internet? should you shield them? >> you have to monitor screen time and that's computers and tvs and phones understanding your kids have probably seen it before you do but you can re-establish the boundaries about what they're watching.

>> what i did was focus on the heroes and there are so many good people in this world. talk about what those heroes, the doctors, nurses in the hospital and on the scene to treat these traumatic horrifying injuries. >> the first responders in boston did an incredible job. you can see how quickly they spun out the health care system. you have seven hospitals absorbing an ee norm amount of patients. the communication required, even the people on the street, first responders not necessarily professionals clearly saved lives and having that in place and telling them that is something that exists that can be accessed and the health care system can work for you will provide assurance. >> hearing the word amputation sent my daughter into a -- that was almost worse than hearing death. >> you're hearing difficult words to deal with and images floating all over the internet. th

they're incredibly graphic. they'll require lots of attention and surgery but we will get them through. you heard that from the massachusetts general hospital. he has ten critical patients and will last every last one of them. >> talk to your kids and explain what they're seeing. >> one hallmark of terrorism and a terrorist act is psychological and meant to get you off your game. walk with your kids to school but don't change thwhat you're doing. coming up witnesses to the horror at the boston marathon. the runner just steps from finishing. we'll be right back.

, live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> good morning. i am scott thuman. security is stepped up in d.c. in the wake of those boston marathon bombings. in place security is at landmarks. metro officials say there is no specific threat against d.c. we will have more on this coming up, an in-depth report in just a few moments. a runner who was near the scene of the explosions, virginia supreme court justice bill mims. he says he was about 100 yards away when the first bomb went off here he was fortunately not injured. we have a check on traffic. >> it has been a problem on 66 this morning. .ainesville to centerville

a stalled vehicle reported near the first manassas interchange. through falls church, slow eastbound. you can see the look across the tunnel. better news from the district. outbound sweetened parkway is reopened. there was a specific is -- a suspicious package, but that is taken care of. >> good morning. a cloudy start. 57 degrees. a little on the gray side right now. i do think we will get some breaks in the clouds and see some sunshine this afternoon, which will help warm us up. time gettinge its here. i don't think we will have much in terms of showers until tomorrow afternoon. a high today between 72 and 76. we will continue to warm up the rest of the week before the plunge this weekend. >> we will have another news update for you

good morning, america, from boston. you see shortly before 3:00 p.m. the two explosions near the finish line of the boston marathon and there is the scene this morning. aerial photos from wcvb-tv of copley plaza, a much calmer morning here in boston, but still a city in shock and so much of america waking up to a different reality this morning. high alert here in boston. high alert in new york city, high alert in countries all across -- in cities all across america after those two explosions which created so much havoc in boston yesterday. >> that high alert stretching around the globe, george. so many people here in this country acknowledging the tragedy including last night on late night television.

comedians and intertakeners all over the country starting their night with a very different kind of note on monday. these comedians, these entertainers paying their respects. take a look. >> boston is my hometown. it's where i grew up. it's where my family lives. so i wanted to take a moment to say that like everybody here my thoughts and prayers are with the people of boston and everybody who's been affected by this absolutely senseless act. >> now, before we officially begin the show we just want to take a moment, our thoughts are with everyone in boston tonight. i have family members and many friends there. my heart is with you. >> i want to dedicate this dance to everybody in boston, honestly this is a difficult show to be part of right now and i just hope we're doing something special for everybody. >> everybody thinking about boston today after that explosion and, of course, as we talked about so many of the cities in the country on high

alert including new york city. amy is up in times square right now. >> good morning, guys. it's been nearly 12 years since september 11th and since then u.s. officials have foiled a number of attempted attacks on american soil. now, monday's bombings has set the entire nation on edge and put us all once again on high alert especially here in times square. we can hear it. abc's dan harris joins us with the very latest on that. >> good morning, amy. hard to miss the signs of increased security here in new york on the streets behind us, down in the subways. after nooib there was all this talk about a new normal. this morning, questions about whether these attacks in boston will create yet another new normal. from the moment those bombs went off america's sense of security was once again shattered. overnight large public events canceled including tonight's boston celtics game. security has been heightened from los angeles at the airport and the dodgers game to washington, d.c. where the secret service shut down

pennsylvania avenue which runs by the white house to las vegas to nuclear power plants across the country to new york city where the nypd mounted a conspicuous show of force throughout the city. >> makes you think back to the time about 12 years ago in new york for 9/11 and you kind of revisit some of those feelings again, of course. >> you'll have heightened security in particular around the united states at any place where there are large numbers of people like airports, sporting events, special events. you'll see more presence of law enforcement and you'll see more bags searched and probably more bomb-sniffing dogs at these locations. >> reporter: american families are waking up this morning worried about something like what happened in boston could happen in their town. just as after newtown, parents wanting to know are their kids safe and should they attend public events. after 9/11, america acclimated to a quote unnote new normal one is still with us in the form of all that security at the airports but will the boston

bombings bring main personal crackdowns and security measures? super bowl-sized protection for every sporting event in the country? could america be moving in the direction of, say, israel? >> it's not realistic to lock down the united states. this is a large country. we freedom to move at a number of locations. we have every day a large number of big ee vicinities whether they be sporting events or something else. and so as a result, i think you will see heightened security. >> so maybe, maybe no major, personal changes in this country, but for now at least definitely increased vigilance and not just here in the united states, also overseas. in london right now this morning, in fact, they are reassessing their security plans for the london marathon, one of the biggest in the world taking a look at how to keep the runners safe and heard some of them will be wearing green ribbons in honor of the victims in boston.

>> that is beautiful. you can see with the sirens. everyone is on edge. perhaps a good thing we're all more on alert. george, back to you in boston. >> okay, amy, i'm here now with demi clark who ran the boston marathon yesterday just step as way from the explosion when it happened. you had just crossed the finish line when you heard the explosion. >> i was right about to cross the finish, question. >> what did you hear? what did you see? >> i heard a tremendous cannon-like sound to my left and thought immediately it's that part of the race and saw an official facing the direction of the blast that kind of horrified look on his face and knew immediately it wasn't normal then looked to my left and saw all the carnage and then the connect blast went off. >> you had friends and family. >> my 9 and 7-year-old daughter and husband were in the bleachers. >> and the bleachers and could they feel the explosion? >> absolutely. they saw it. they saw me and they could feel everything. it just rocked that entire remember ya. >> tell us more about that

moment. must have been so disorienting at the end of a marathon which is hard enough but to see chaos around you. >> it was terrifying, helpless feeling. seeing bloody people, bodies, people up against the fence and first responders running over and so many just disoriented people. what do you do? how do you react? how do you respond? it was just terrifying? >> how did you find your family. >> i saw them in the stands. my husband is 6'4" and 240 and had one child under each arm and sighted him and had an official holding me back. the baa was trying to get runners to keep going forward and i said, no, i'm going to find my family and they let me go and my children were in tears and we just tried to get to safety at that point. >> so terrifying and you're seeing bodies all around you. what kind of injuries did you see? >> horrific injuries. a lot of head wounds and just cuts and scars and saw people

that were down on the ground and a lot of the runners to my left who i was just running with were down and just awar zone. it was what i would think that a war zone would look like. >> couldn't imagine that would never happen. >> never, never in a marathon. never. >> thanks so much for talking. hope you and your family are okay. back to sam with the latest. >> keeping our eye on the earthquake zone on the iran and pakistan border. earlier a 7.8 earthquake in that zone even from iranian tv already early reports of 40 dead. this quake was powerful enough and deep, deep, about nine miles deep but powerful enough to be felt in buildings in new delhi and skyscrapers in new delhi and bahrain. abilene, you're also involved in this. san angelo but all the what i to cincinnati, a long, powerful line of thunderstorms behind that. snowmaker behind that and cold air in the country yet again

>> lots of clouds all across the area this morning, but we do expect the clouds to break a little bit this afternoon. some peaks of sunshine on the way, along with warmer temperatures. we should >> and that's a look at the weather from times square here in new york. now let's go to boston and josh. >> all right, sam. thanks. members of the tufts university women's lacrosse team were, in fact, right at the finish line. a shot you see from the wcvb-tv helicopter over copley blase have cheering on their fellow students who were in the race, three members injured in the bombings and the chaos afterwards and want to welcome them. it's worth pointing out yesterday patriots' day. this is a college town at its heart. so many college students look forward to this day, a day to spend to revel with your friends

so tell us about the first moments again when that bomb exploded as you were watching charlotte cross the finish line. >> well, we were all watching and cheering on. we have a whole marathon team then the first one went off and i remember just we all turned to her and asked what happened and then the second one went off and we all screamed to run and i've never run so fast in my life. >> what did you see when you looked down? >> well, when i looked down the street at the first one i discuss saw a lot of debris and then i heard the second one and just turned. >> now, we did mention there were three of your teammates that were injured. they were released from area hospitals last night. what can you tell us about their condition. >> they're all safe right now, sea and sound with their families and doing well so that's all we really care about right now. we're happy they're safe. >> charlotte, you were running.

you -- what did you know when the first explosion rocked the finish line? >> yeah, i was running to cheer on my friend for the last six miles of the race and just fini crossed the finish line and thought they were fireworks or cannons at first and turned around and didn't see anything and the second one went off and turned and started sprinted. when i got to a more safe location i turned around and videotaped and took pictures. i guess then police were escorting us to keep moving. >> we've heard horrific things about the injuries suffered. so many lower limb injuries, shrapnel injuries. were any of you struck by the bomb or the glass that had shattered? >> we permanently weren't. we were all kind of thrown to the ground and in the chaos like everybody just kind -- it was like a stampede.

>> yeah. i fell into like a barrier from a restaurant but i mean i was just so scared that i just got right back up and kempt running. >> carrie, what did it sound like? >> it was just a very loud vibration. you could almost feel the -- i'm not even sure how to explain it but you felt the bomb go off and it was massive chaos, bleeding and everyone was screaming and running. >> serene holiday here looked forward to everybody here in new england. shattered yesterday, again, charlotte, carrie, carrie and erin, we appreciate your time. the role that social media played. how many so many learned about the explosion and lifeline in for people searching for their loved ones. the impact when we return. the griewas staggering. one hundred days after us senate starts to act are coming together background checks the second amendment hands of dangerous criminals. ninety percent of america background checks. urge them to join comprehensive background checks. demand action. now.

listen, your story line, it makes for incredible tv drama. thing is, your drug use is too adult for the kids, so i'm going to have to block you. oh, man. yeah. [inhales] well, have a good one. you're a nice lady. welcome back. for people trying to find out the status of their friends and their family during the boston marathon explosions, social media was a lifeline. survivors had more ways than ever to get the word out athey were alive and okay. abc's bianna golodryga has more on the outpouring of news across social media during a time of crisis. it was very uniting. >> so many people turning to

their smartphones as this was taking place. the bombings were documented almost instantly by horrified spectators never imagining they would become mod-dern reporters. millions responding on twitter, facebook and instagram from celebrities to young schoolchildren. the bombings in boston are unique not just for their stunning intrusion into an american tradition, but because in a matter of seconds they became the first u.s. terrorist attacks of the social media generation. >> my friends finished after me, so the explosion happened right before they finished. they're all safe. i learned from facebook. the power of social media. >> reporter: some of the earliest reports that something had happened monday afternoon came directly from tweets along the race course. in the immediate aftermath of the first explosion. >> the news spread on social media en5 people started to see something is going on and in

that second step is really the bigger picture. >> reporter: within moments still images, texts, even short video clips began rocketing across tablets and mobile phones making their way into news coverage. >> it was very loud. the ground shook. >> reporter: at times the images captured and distributed in realtime were shocking and brutal leaving some on line to express their discomfort. >> but the pic showing blood on the sauk is horrific. saw a pic of a boston street covered in bloods. no words tweeted another. >> something different here, we had these images, and they were really graphic on facebook in particular. you really couldn't close out of those. >> but just as the events unfolded on social media so did a grassroots response. with those living nearby offering an online document to house runners evacuated from their hotel to google which launched a person finder service to help reunite lost friends and

family members. still despite all the technology involved, perhaps the greatest power of social media monday was the ability to remind everyone of what really matters. two of boston's most famous natives. ben affleck and mark wahlberg posted. such a senseless and tragic day. my family and i send our love to our beloved and resill boston" and mark "thoughts and prayers with my hometown boston." >> who would have thought and the power of social media brought us together and kept us connected. >> thank you, bianna. we appreciate it. coming up more from boston. we will talk to the eyewitnesses just ten feet from the explosion right at the finish line.

and we are back here in boston, i am here with david able, "the boston globe." thank you for joining us. you were right on the finish line at the moment the first blast went off. tell us about what you saw in that's correct. so i was there taking video as runners were coming in when i felt the ground shake and i heard a massive boom and i saw a large plume of smoke. took me a while to figure out exactly what was happening. >> any sense of what it could be? >> you know, a lot of people have asked me this question at this point. first the normal thing filtered through your mind was it a gas explosion? was it a malfunctioning piece of equipment? was it celebratory gunfire for the incoming runners in jubilation but as soon as the smoke cleared and there was another blast we knew what happened. >> you saw the injured on the ground immediately. >> yeah, pretty much immediately as soon as i got to my seat and the smoke cleared, the carnage

became visible and it was the most horrific thing i have seen. >> what was it like? >> so it's a pretty congested place. less a viewing stand, media stand sort of over the finish line. i was actually standing on the finish line as scores of runners were coming in every minute on both sides there are spectators and whoever planted it did it deliberately because they knew how to maximize casualties because invariably someone who has run three boston marathons, running on to boylston street i have a compared to hitting a home run at fenway park. there's a deafening roar and there are ten people deep as spectators so where these bombs were planted were where the most people would be. >> where all the friends and family come to greet the marathoners and seemed like you would have the highest volume of

runners crossing the finish line. >> yeah, about the four-hour mark, and that's probably when most of the runners for charity come in, so, yeah, there was a substantial number of runners at the glim too one of the things remarkable about this, you can see some of that on the video. the emergency responders sprang into action so quickly. >> so if there's anything you can say that's heartening from this experience was, you know, in the moments after the chaos and the second bomb exploded, we saw police officers, marathon volunteers, spectators, strangers helping strangers ripping down metal barricades and carrying people with the worst possible injuries by hand to the medical tent which was about 50 feet away. >> and that made a real difference. thanks very much. we'll be right back. [ male announcer ] what do you want to get done today?

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and that is all for us from boston right now. we're going to be reporting all through the day. you can catch all the updates all day long on abcnews.com and thank amy and sam in new york and a full wrap-up on "world news with diane sawyer." good morning from a shocked city of boston.

>> get out. ♪ >> we need help. [ sirens ] >> it was horrible. it was just traumatizing. [ crying ] >> i was terrified. absolutely terrified. i was just waiting for daddy to come back, right? >> live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> good morning, everyone. i am greta kreuz. an emotional tribute to the victims of the boston marathon explosions. just hours after the bombings, catholic students at george washington university gathered

for a mass and a candlelight vigil followed. one student who's from boston said he broke down in tears after hearing from friends who were at the scene of those blasts. scam artists are already trying to take advantage of the situation in boston. shortly after the bombing, somebody set up a twitter account promising to donate $1 to the victims for every re- tweet. the account has since been taken down. you can help the victims by donating money or blood to the red cross.time for traffic. any troubles out there? >> on 66, the latest of many. eastbound after fair lakes. a stalled car. still not out of the woods through manassas and centerville. 395 is below speed almost all the way back to king street. quick note on the map, pennsylvania avenue commuters, there is a five car crash in down pennsylvania avenue, 195.

now for the forecast. , prettygrees comfortable. you might want a light jacket or sweater. this afternoon, things will be warming up. there is a cold front across the great lakes. we will pick up some showers. most of that will be tomorrow afternoon. an isolated ray shower, especially to the north, today. the high temperature between 72 and 76 degrees. >> thank you for watching. we will be back at noon. "live with kelly and michael" is next.